A Jewish group just made a formal complaint to Labour after Jeremy Corbyn compared Israel to ISIS
Corbyn compared Israel to ISIS in his speech at the launch of a report into anti-Semitism within the Labour Party on Thursday. At the launch of the Chakrabati Inquiry Corbyn said:
"Our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions of Israel or the Netanyahu government than our Muslim friends are for those various self-styled Islamic states or organisations."
The Chief Rabbi has already condemned Corbyn's comments, calling them "offensive", and on Friday rights group Jewish Human Rights Watch (JHRW) lodged a formal complaint with the Labour Party about the comments.
A letter sent to the Party says Corbyn's comments are "demonising and delegitimizing Israel in a way wholly consistent with modern anti-Semitism and set out in our complaint to the inquiry."
It continues: "There is no doubt in our mind that this was an attack on the Jewish state in particular and Jews in general."
JHRW also complain about Corbyn's treatment of Jewish MP Ruth Smeeth. Smeeth stormed out of the Chakrabati Inquiry launch press conference yesterday and JHRW says: "Ms Ruth Smeeth was subjected to anti-Semitic remarks during the course of the press conference and Mr Corbyn wholly failed to support her."
It seems Corbyn has spectacularly shot himself in the foot. The Chakrabati Inquiry was meant to take care of allegations that Labour under his leadership had become a hostile place for Jews - if not an outright anti-Semitic party. Corbyn launched the inquiry in April after Ken Livingstone, a close ally of his, and MP Naz Shah were suspended from the party over comments they had made.
The controversy also comes during a leadership crisis within the party. Corbyn lost a vote of "No Confidence" against him, with 75% of MPs refusing to back him, but the leader is refusing to step down. Corbyn argues he still has the support of the grassroots membership. 60,000 people have signed up to become members of Labour Party in the wake of the revolt against leader Jeremy Corbyn by MPs.